April 1, 2010
Poetic April Begins
We’re going to be celebrating April here at Pickle Me This in a most poetic fashion, and brilliant plans are afoot– poets have been generous enough to contibute “Poetry Primers”, to allow some of their work to be posted, and stay tuned also for a poetic interview, for lots of book reviews and discussions. I’m going to be reading collections by Michael Lista, Kyle Buckley, Laisha Rosnau, and others. Laisha will also be one of our featured poets, along with Susan Telfer, Jennica Harper, Kerry Ryan and Rebecca Rosenblum (yes! she contains multitudes).
If any other poets or poetry fans are up for taking part in any way (writing primers, posting poems, and whatnot), do get in touch. Unless you’re the teenage version of me, in which case *nobody* wants to read about that pain that “cuts life a knife”, okay?
Truth be told, I do read poetry year around, but I welcome April and the chance to allow it a little bit of extra attention. Because appreciating poetry demands plenty of attention, and often less than I tend to grant it, modern life being what it is (ie rubbish). Poetry is slow, poetry is precision, poetry demands you to note every syllable, every sound, senses attuned. Poetry is demanding, which is not the same as difficult, and any poem worth its weight in demands will be infinitely rewarding. The way a few words can open worlds wide and wide.
What I want to make clear over the next month is that poetry has popular appeal. If you’re not into poetry, it’s only because you’re not looking in the right places, and note that not being into poetry is sort of like not being into novels (and we all know those people are perfect idiots).
If you do love poetry, then I am glad we’ll be able to celebrate together, and for the rest of you, I hope you’ll be won over by the time May’s flowers are in bloom.
October 15, 2009
Justification
Well, I have limited myself to purchasing only one book a month. But. We’re off to England on Friday, and therefore it only makes sense to order Howards End is On The Landing and Wolf Hall from there, as they’ll be either more widely available and/or a wee bit cheaper. And by the time I get back, What Boys Like will be out, and as I’ve been planning to buy that for ages, it doesn’t quite seem like my monthly allotment (which should be more spontaneous, you know). And that copy of Birds of America that arrived last week doesn’t count either, because I only bought it to get free postage on an amazon.ca order of CDs. So basically, we’re halfway into October and I haven’t even bought one book yet. I am very proud of my restraint.
All of this is a little less ridiculous, because I’ve been reading like a madwoman lately. Harriet’s naps have turned out to be much longer when taken on me, which means that I can read a lot and nap as well. So that’s what we’ve been up to lately, which leads to a Mommy who is better-read and less exhausted.
Now reading nothing! Or rather little bits of lots of things– I’ve been rereading Jennica Harper’s poetry, the LRB (I’m caught up to late July now), and the ROM magazine. Because I’m saving Birds of America for my holiday, and am too superstitious to start it before it’s time.
April 25, 2009
My fiction in Room
I am very happy to announce that my story “What Noise Can Carry” appears in issue 32.1 of Room Magazine, which is out now. Not sure if it’s in the shops yet, but my copy appeared in the post today. The issue is gorgeous, and I was excited to see that it also contains work by Lorna Crozier and Patricia Young, as well as a review of Jennica Harper’s What It Feels Like For a Girl. It is very nice to be a part of something so good.
April 22, 2009
Further excitement
My new issue of The New Quarterly has finally arrived! Honestly, never has there ever been an issue of a lit. journal I’ve so wanted to devour– Elizabeth Hay interviewed, Rebecca Rosenblum on Sassy, even Kim Jernigan’s Editor’s Letter is delightful. And speaking of Rosenblums, this particular one has been nominated for a National Magazine Award for her story “Linh Lai” (published in TNQ). I was also excited to see my favourite poet Jennica Harper up for a poetry award. Further excitement: Margaret Atwood’s Adopt a Word to Create a Story story has been revealed. It’s called “Persiflage in the Library” and it’s very cute (read it here).
December 12, 2008
Top Eleven Indie Picks of 2008
My favourite books by independent publishers this year in no particular order (except perhaps a bit chronological). And my list’s explanation.
- Pulpy and Midge by Jessica Westhead (Coach House)
- Things Go Flying by Shari Lepena (Brindle and Glass)
- Stunt by Claudia Dey (Coach House)
- Flirt by Lorna Jackson (Biblioasis)
- Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
- Girls Fall Down by Maggie Helwig (Coach House)
- Silent Girl by Tricia Dower (Inanna)
- Once by Rebecca Rosenblum (Biblioasis)
- Entitlement by Jonathan Bennett (ECW)
- What It Feels Like for a Girl by Jennica Harper (Anvil Press)
- The Myth of the Simple Machines by Laurel Snyder (No Tell Books)
October 14, 2008
Attending
Tomorrow night I’ll be attending the Toronto launch of What It Feels Like for a Girl by Jennica Harper. Will be way more interesting than election returns. From 8-11 at Clinton’s (693 Bloor Street W.). See you there?
October 13, 2008
My turn for Whats and Whys
Rebecca Rosenblum ponders why she reads the books she reads, the last ten books she has read specifically, concluding that reading is social, however solitary in practice. Her post inspiring Naya V. to consider some of her own bookish choosings. And inspiring me as well, though findings may not be so revelatory as I’ve written here about how I came to some of these already. Nevertheless.
- Forms of Devotion by Diane Schoemperlen (now reading), because Rebecca Rosenblum gave it to me for my birthday and now it is time.
- The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard, because it was a paperback portable for vacation, and because it came recommended via the impeccable taste of Rona Maynard.
- The Boys in the Trees by Mary Swan, also because it was a paperback. Because it was longlisted and shortlisted for the Giller. Because it was Rona-recommended, and recommended by Maud Newton and Stephany Aulenback as well. (Oh, and now by me too. This is the best book I’ve read in ages).
- Between Friends: A Year in Letters by Oonagh Berry and Helen Levine. I picked this up at the Victoria College book sale not just because it was a collection of correspondence but because reading a newspaper feature when the book came out inspired me to embark upon a similar writing project with my friend Bronwyn.
- Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott, because I wanted to all the books on the Giller list by women (which was easy as there were only two).
- Flowers for Mrs. Harris by Paul Gallico. Also bought at the book sale, and I was originally attracted by the gorgeous (only slightly damaged) pink dust jacket, and then I remembered that I’d read writer Justine Picardie raving about this novel on her blog.
- What It Feels Like for a Girl by Jennica Harper. Jennica is my favourite poet, and her first book The Octopus kept me up all hours the first time I read it, and so naturally I would read her new book the second I could get my mitts upon it.
- Babylon Rolling by Amanda Boyden. I don’t remember why I read this book at all, perhaps for no real reason, which is probably the reason I was so surprised to love it.
- When Will There by Good News? by Kate Atkinson. Um, because Kate Atkinson wrote it. And everything she touches is gold– except for Emotionally Weird, but I’ve forgiven/forgotten already. Everything else though.
- The Diving Bell and Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. My spectacular Amy Winehouse costume won me this book as a prize at an Oscar Party back in the winter, but I hadn’t got around to reading it. My husband had, however, and was obsessed with it, and insisted that I read it too, and it was as wonderful as he promised. And now we can finally rent the movie.
October 3, 2008
The real English class
You begin the real English class:
O, Lolita, The Happy Hooker.
Even a few pages from Danielle Steele,
copied, folded and ready
for customers to put in their backpacks,
take-home tests. Taken to beds.
No muss, no fuss. Just the best
sexy scenes literature has to offer.
There are those who
find you ridiculous
or disgusting. But you know
they’re afraid. You don’t blame them– just feel sorry
they don’t recognize
your skills.
Thirteen is young and old, depending
on who you know.
–Jennica Harper, from “Burning Up” in What It Feels Like For a Girl
July 25, 2008
Looking forward
It may have been raining plenty of late, but it is still summer. We’re off on a cottage mini-break this weekend, for which we’re very lucky and excited, and life is never ever better than it is in July. However the following is a list of things for which I’m looking forward to autumn (and they must be good, to make me look past July). Surprise, surprise, they’re mainly bookish:
- Once by Rebecca Rosenblum (Biblioasis, September 15)
- Goldengrove by Francine Prose (Harper Collins Canada, September 3)
- The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews (Knopf Canada, September 2)
- Alfred and Emily by Doris Lessing (Harper Collins Canada)
- Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings by M.H. Rubio (Doubleday Canada October)
- When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (Bond Street Books, September 9)
- What It Feels Like For A Girl by Jennica Harper (Anvil Press, September 15)
- Promised Land by Dar Williams (September)
June 24, 2008
Bookish Happenings
I visited This Ain’t the Rosedale Public Library this weekend at their new location in Kensington Market. Which was my first time at This Ain’t… altogether, actually, so I’ve nothing to compare it to, but I was impressed. A great selection of journals and magazines, and shelves and shelves of bookish spines. I bought Girls Fall Down by Maggie Hellwig, because all the reviews I’ve read have intrigued me, and because I love the quality of Coach House books.
In other bookish news, I am beyond excited to discover that my favourite poet has a new book forthcoming: Jennica Harper’s What It Feels Like For a Girl is out in September by Anvil Press.
